Just as schools were winding down for winter break, many were once again forced to confront national issues, as school safety and gun control returned to the forefront.

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Valentine’s Day left 17 dead. Along with sadness and fear for students’ safety, it has prompted a nationwide call for change. READ

State officials have confirmed that transgender students in New York public schools are still allowed to choose whichever bathroom matches their gender identity, despite President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind a federal law mandating that schools grant them that right.

Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) has confirmed that President Barack Obama signed proposed legislation Thursday that includes his own proposal, dubbed the Zeldin Amendment, which will allow school districts to opt out of Common Core without sacrificing federal funding.

High school students sometimes notice classmates slyly puffing away — in class — behind a book, blowing smoke into their sleeves.

During a fire drill on a brisk day, some brazen students might even sneak a smoke out in the open, believing teachers and principals will mistake the small clouds as exhaled cold air.

Sure, teenagers are still huddling in obvious areas like bathrooms or just off school grounds to light up, but most of them aren’t using a lighter to smoke a butt. They’re “vaping” with electronic cigarettes. And schools are finding that the devices are becoming more popular among students than traditional cigarettes.